The present invention is an apparatus for sharpening bladed tools including grill implements such as spatulas and grill scrapers, and in particular a sharpening apparatus having a sharpening member, a first blade guide member that is slidable with respect to the sharpening member, and a second blade guide member that is fixed with respect to the sharpening member.
In the food preparation industry various types of food products, including meat products such as hamburgers, sausage patties and bacon, are cooked on metal grills having a substantially planar and nonperforate surface that is heated. Properly cooking a meat product on a grill, wherein the resulting cooked meat product has maximum flavor and is sufficiently cooked such that it is safe to eat, requires the use of sharp grill implements such as spatulas and grill scrapers for cleaning the grill before, during and after the cooking process.
The use of a dull or unevenly sharpened spatula during the cooking process will tear and cut the meat product when the meat product is picked-up or turned-over on the grill with the spatula. This results in a torn surface in the meat product through which juices may be lost and results in a portion of the meat product remaining adhered to the grill where it may become burned or where it may build up harmful bacteria. A properly sharpened spatula that has a smooth, sharp, straight and burr-free edge will cleanly pick up a meat product from the grill without tearing the seared surface of the meat product, such that natural juices are retained in the meat product, and without leaving any portion of the meat product adhered to the grill.
The use of a dull or unevenly sharpened grill scraper to clean a grill prior to cooking also leads to many problems. A grill surface that is not properly cleaned due to the use of a dull or unevenly sharpened grill scraper will allow carbon to accumulate on the surface of the grill. A dull or unevenly sharpened grill scraper can also scratch the grill surface such that carbon can build up in the grooves of the scratches. A food product that is cooked on a grill having carbon on its surface can acquire a bad taste. A build up of carbon on the grill surface also results in uneven heat transfer to the meat product which can cause the resulting meat product to be improperly under cooked such that it may contain potentially harmful bacteria or E. coli due to its under cooking. The use of spatulas and grill scrapers having a sharp, straight and smooth edge in connection with a grill is necessary to enable the safe cooking of food products on a grill.